Electrical fixture



@CL 1, 1935. H, 5 wELFlELD 2,015,981

ELECTRICAL FIXTURE Filed Jan. 8, 1932 INVENTOR HENRY S. WELFIE D ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 1, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in electrical fixtures and more particularly to Christmas tree lighting sets.

The principal object of the invention is to prevent the breaking of the contacts of the lead in Wires with the contact lamp sockets.

Another object is to minimize the tendency of such sets to become entangled.

Another object is to facilitate the assembly and improve the appearance of the packaged set.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description progresses.

In this specification and the accompanying drawing the invention is disclosed in its preferred form. It is to be understood, however, that it is not limited to this form because it may be embodied in other forms within the purview of the claim following the description.

In the one sheet of drawings:

Fig. 1 is an enlarged perspective view partly in cross section showing the application of the invention to the conventional socket and flexible conductor cords.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same illustrating the operation of the buckle in preventing pulling strains against the socket connections.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the buckle showing its structural details.

Fig. 4 is an ornamental form of the same with bisecting circular openings in clover leaf formation.

In detail the construction illustrated in the drawing referring to Fig. 3 consists of an integral piece of dielectric or insulating material in the form of a cross-bar buckle cut from a sheet of fiber or the like.

The body I of the buckle has the rounded ends 2-2 and the cross-bar 3. The cross-bar is formed by the transverse openings 44 through the body I. These openings may be of any desired shape, but the bicircular form shown is preferred, because the projections 4-4' and 4"4" tend to separate the cords 5--6 and reduce the danger of short circuiting them.

The dies for punching the circular form of holes are also more cheaply produced and maintained, which is a prime consideration, since the cost of producing the buckles must be kept down. Holes of such shape also prevent weakening the structure of the body of the buckle, as compared to square or oblong holes having angular corners.

Christmas tree lighting sets must be produced and packed at a very low cost to come Within the low selling price necessary to insure sales volume. Yet they must conform to the underwriters regulations regarding possible short circuits and other fire hazards. It is also important that electrical connections be of a nature to carry the full electric current. The cheaper forms of such sets are wired in series as in Fig. 2. Without the interposed buckle I, the pull'of the cords 5-6 would be directly against the insulated soldered connections l--8 to the contact socket 9.

Heretofore it has been necessary to tie a knot in the cords 5-8, Whether wired in series or multiple, to perform the function of the buckle l as described. These cords consist of a multiplicity of fine wires properly insulated. The soldered connections at 1-8 will not Withstand much rough usage, especially such strains as would result if not protected by the buckle l. The substitute knot is more costly both in time and material than the buckle.

The contact socket 9 is protected by the enclosing case I U of dielectric material. The cords 5-6 are threaded through the holes 44 and looped over the cross-bar in the buckle and the stripped ends passed through the case H] and soldered to the socket 9, which is then pressed into the end of the case I0, as in Fig. 1, ready to receive the light bulb l2, as in Fig. 2.

The body I of the buckle may be made of varicolored and reflective noninflammable material, such as pyrolin and cut to appropriate outlines such as the star in Fig. 4. To condense the size of the buckles the circles 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, may bisect each other to make a four leaf clover pattern. This partly eliminates the cross bar, without destroying its function. It enables the buckle to be applied to the cords 56 subsequent to their assembly with the socket 9 by looping the cords into the recesses la4c and 412-4d singly.

Having thus described this invention What is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

In combination With a pair of parallel conductors; a plate having a pair of openings each adapted to pass said conductors and intersecting and forming opposed projections separated the Width of one of said conductors and underlying each of said conductors respectively.

HENRY S. WELFIELD. 

